Lighter



July 24,1934.

J. HOLTZMAN LIGHTER Filed March 8, 1928 mm m m WM .210. H n m J B V la/7 TTORNEY Patented July 24, 1934 UNITED STATES IPATENTQ- OFFICE LIGHTERJohn Holtzman, New York, N. ll. Application March s, 1928, Serial No.260,019 14 Claims. (oi. ctr-1.1)

This invention relates to lighters of the type wherein a toothed wheelabrades a pyrophoric member and throws sparks on to a suitable wick forigniting the wick.

My invention is designed to provide a lighter in which the wheel can beoperated only by means intended for positive and intentional manualoperation, so that no spark can be producedand no light obtained unlessthe mechanism is deliberately manipulated and maintained deliberately inoperative position under intentional pressure. Should the manuallyoperated means be released, the light, if any has been produced, isautomatically extinguished. It is further intended to prold duce adirect, simple, eflicient and durable means for operating the sparkproducing mechanism. The above and other objects of my invention will beclear from the description which follows, and from the drawing, inwhich, 1

Fig. l is a perspective view of the major part of my improved lighter.

Fig; 2- is a front view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the same, showing the closed positionsof the parts.

In that practical embodiment of my invention which I have illustratedherein, the casing 10 is made {of suitable size and shape to fit easilyinto 1 the pocket of the user; and is designed to hold so inflammableliquid therein, such as benzine, alcohol or the like, or to holdabsorbent. material 11 soaked with such liquid. The wick bushing 12 hasa suitable opening therein for the passage of the wick 9, and is securedto the top 13 of the '85 casing in any suitable manner, such as, forinstance, upsetting the lower end thereof.

A flint cylinder 15, of the usual type is supported in the'flint holdingtube 16, which is preferablyarranged substantially centrally of thecasing 10-and held in place by the top 13 of the casing and the bottommember 14. A compression spring 20, arranged in the tube 16 and bearingon the flint 15 serves to maintain said flint at all times in fisfdengagement with the sparking wheel 17. e lower end of the tube 16 'maybe threaded to receive the shank of the screw plug 19, the lower end ofthe spring 20 resting against theend of said screw.

For providing a smooth, flat surface on the bottom 14 of the casing onwhich the lighter may rest without rocking, I prefer to provide adepression 22 in the'bottom 14, of suflicient diameter and depth to.receive the screw plug 19, so that said screw does not project beyondthe hot- 56 tom after it has been screwed into place. The

slot 21 is preferably made across the head of the screw 19, so that saidscrew may readily be removed by suitable means, such as a coin or ascrewdriver should it become necessary to replace the fiint. A similardepressed portion 24 is made in the bottom 14 for the reception of thescrew 23, said depressed portion 24 being threaded about the openingtherein. The screw 23 being slotted similarly to-the screw 19, it may beremoved in the same manner when it is desired to replenish the casingwith inflammable liquid, 9, suitable washer being interposed between thehead of the screw 23 and the bottom of the depressed portion 24 forinsuring a leak proof joint.

The device for operating the toothed spark producing wheel 17 will nowbe described. In this description, it will be remembered that said wheelcan only be deliberately and positively operated, and that the mechanismis designed to automatically extinguish the light onthe wick 9, whenreleased. The wheel 17 is preferably looseiy mounted on the shaft 26 andis given its rotative movement through the medium of the'swinging frameor link 27, which when swung in the proper direc-- 86 tion, rotates thewheel. The rotation of the wheel 17 is effected through the intermediaryof the clutch spring disc 43 which is provided with iiiwardly bentprojections 28 adapted to engage the ratchet teeth 29 cut in the sidesof the wheel. 35 The shaft 26 passes through the depending sides 25 ofthe frame 18 which may be loosely mounted on said shaft, supported bythe ears 30 of the bracket 31, which is secured to .the top 13 of thecasing in any suitable manner. Pivotally mounted on the shaft 26 andloose thereon, is the cap or snufier frame 18, which carries the wickcap 32 and to'which is secured the disc 43. Said cap frame is operated'by the link or frame 27, to which it is pivoted as by means of the, pinor rivets 3'7, and through the disc 43 and the teeth 29 operates thewheel. While I prefer to make the frame 27 with downwardly extendingflanges- 45 and a closed top member, it will be understood the topmember may be omitted, and links, 0017- responding to the flanges 45,may be used instead, as will be obvious.

Near the other end of the frame 27, a suitable pin, or rivet 33, servesto pivotally secure the frame to the arms 35 depending from the fingerpiece 36, whereby movement of the piece 36 causes the tube 40, which isheld in'place by the top 13 of the casing and contains the spring 42acting against the plunger and urging said plunger into its inoperativeposition illustrated in Fig. 4.

It will be seen that only so long as the plunger 39 and the finger piecesecured thereto is depressed against the action of the spring 42 can thewick 9 remain lighted, and that as soonas the finger piece is released,the spring returns the parts to the initial positions thereof andreplaces the wick. cap over the wick thereby extinguishing the flame.

When it is desired to ignite the wick, 9, the member 36 and the partscarried thereby are depressed, against the action of the spring 42. Therivets 33 thereby carry down the attached end of the frame 2'7, theother pivoted end of which moves in an are about the shaft as a pivot,constrained thereto by the cap frame 18 and the pivot connection 37. Thecap frame is thereby swung about the shaft 26, exposing the wick 9 tothe igniting action of the sparks produced by the sparking wheel 17.Simultaneously, the projection 28, made by slitting the clutch disc 43loosely mounted on shaft 26 and bending the resulting free flangeinwardly, engages the ratchet tooth 29 of the sparking wheel 17 andcarries said wheel around with the frame, thereby abrading the flint andthrowing sparks on to the Wick 9. So long as the finger pieces aremaintained. in their depressed positions by the finger of the user, thewick remains ignited, but as soon as the member 36 is released, thespring 42 returns the parts to the normal positions thereof andextinguishes the wick, the projection 28 sliding over the ratchet teeth29 without rotating the wheel 17.

It will be seen that I have provided simple and efiicient manuallyoperated and positively acting mechanism operatively connected to thesparking wheel and to the wick cap for rotating the same only by theintention of the 'user, which mechanism automatically returns the partsto their inoperative positions; that the parts are few and of simpledesign capable of economical manufacture and assembly in largequantities and that my improved lighter presents a finished and pleasingappearance.

' While I have shown and described an efficient and practical embodimentof my invention, I do not wish to be understood, as limiting myselfthereto, as it will be obvious that various changes therein will suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art, but I intend to claim thisinvention as broadly as may be permitted by the terms of the claimsherein, and the state of the prior art.

I claim:

1. A lighter having an abrading wheel, means including a shaft forsupporting said wheel, a wick-capping frame mounted on said shaft andmechanically connected with said wheel, a link frame covering said wheeland pivoted at one end to said wick-capping frame, and a manuallyoperable member pivoted to the other end of said link frame.

2. In a lighter, an abrading wheel, a wick-capping member, a fingerpiece, and means for operating said member and said .wheel in responseto movement of said finger-piece, said means including a memberinterposed between said capping member and said finger-piece andnormally covering said wheel.

3. In a lighter, a frame, a fuel container secured to said frame andhaving a. wick therein, an abrading wheel revolubly mounted in saidframe,

a wick-snufling cap revolubly mounted in said frame, a spring-pressedmanually operable member, and means including a link normally coveringsaid wheel and connecting said member and said cap for rotating saidwheel and said cap in response to movement of said member wherebymovement of said member ignites said wick.

4. In a lighter, a casing having a flat top, a wick cap above the top, aswingable member carrying said cap, a pivot for said member above and invertical spaced relation to the top, and arranged intermediate of theedges of the casing, sparkproducing means operated by said member on themovement thereof in one direction, a manually depressible finger pieceabove the top of the easing and in longitudinal spaced relation to themember, and a link bridgingthe space between the member and the fingerpiece, said link being pivoted to said member and being normallyarranged on one side of and above the spark-producing means and beyondthe inner end of said member. I

5. In a lighter, a container, an abrading wheel, a wick capping memberpivotally mounted at a point above the container, a link of a separatepiece of material pivoted at one end to said member for operating saidmember and extending longitudinally beyond and in the same direction assaid member, and means extending above the container for pivotallysupporting the other end of the link including a-pivot pin carried bysaid means and entering the link.

6. In a lighter, a casing having afiat top and bottom, a pair ofprojections extending above said top, spark producing means between theprojections, a capping member pivotally mounted between said projectionsand extending from a point adjacent one edge of the casing to a pointadjacent the center of the casing, a spring-pressed finger piece inlongitudinal spaced relation to said capping member mounted on said topand adjacent the other edge of the casing, and having a. fiat top and apair of depending sides, a link member extending between the adjacentspaced ends of said capping member and said finger piece and pivotallyconnecting said cappingmember and the sides of said finger piece, saidlink normally arranged to cover the wheel and being actuated by saidfinger piece when the same is pressed downwardly.

'7. In a lighter, a casing of substantially rectangular outline having afiat top, a pair of spaced projections upstanding from said top, a shaftcarried by said projections, an abrading wheel rotatably mounted on saidshaft, a block of pyrophoric material yiedingly supported against saidwheel, ,a wick projecting from said top at one side of the wheel, a wickcap, a swingable member carrying said wick cap and mounted between saidprojections, a spring-pressed finger piece mountedon said topindependently of said'wheel shaft on the other side of the wheel, and alink extending longitudinally past the end of the cappingmember andpivotally connecting both the capping member and'the finger piece andcovering said wheel, whereby when said finger piece is presseddownwardly, saidcapping member moves upwardly to uncap the wick.

8. In a lighter, means for producing a spark, a 4

pivoted member, and means for operating said spark-producing means andsaid pivoted member including a finger piece spaced. from said member,and a connecting member bridging said space between and pivoted to saidfinger piece and to said pivoted member.

9. In a lighter, a. wick, a. wick capping member necting element havingan uppermost surfacenormally arranged between and cooperating with theuppermost surfaces of the capping member and of the finger piece toprovide a flat top surface on the lighter.

10. In a lighter, the combination of a casing, a pair of spaced parallelsupporting members fixed relatively to said casing, an abrading wheelrevolubly mounted between said members, a block of pyrophoric materialyieldingly supported against said wheel, a wick having its end exposablenear the top of the casing and adjacent said wheel, a wick cappingmember revolubly mounted between said members, a normally horizontallink member exposed near the top of and outside of the casing andforming part of the top of the lighter, and on one side of andlongitudinally aligned with the capping member and connected to saidcapping member at one end andernbracing said member at both sidesthereof, said link member having a top and a pair of side walls andbeing pivotally supported at its other end, and spring means mounted inthe casing and for urging said link member at all times toward itsnormal horizontal position, thereby pressing the capping memberdownwardly to cover the wick, said link member when actuated against theaction of said spring means and out of its horizontal position arrangedto swing said capping member upwardly.

11. In a lighter, a wick, an oscillatory wickcapping frame,spark-producing means, and means for simultaneously operating saidsparkproducing means and said frame for igniting said wick, saidoperating means including a springpressed manually operable finger piecespaced from the frame, and a link pivoted at its respective ends to andbridging the space between said finger piece and said frame, said link,finger piece and frame forming the top of said lighter.

12. A lighter having an abrading wheel, a wickcapping frame, a manuallyoperable member, and means responsive to said member for operating saidwheel and said frame, said means including a link frame covering saidwheel and pivoted at one end to said wick-capping frame and at the otherend to said member.

13. A lighter comprising a fuel container having a top and mechanismlocated above the top and within the outline of the top thereof, saidmechanism including spark-producing means, a wick located on one side ofsaid spark-producing means, a snufier member cooperating with said wick,and means for actuating said snufier member and said spark-producingmeans whereby said wick is ignited and snuffed, said means including anupwardly spring-pressed finger piece responsive to vertical downwardmanual pressure and movable vertically with respect to said top andhaving a pivot located at the side of said sparkproducing means oppositeto said wick, and means swingable on the pivot for connecting the finger109 piece to the snuffer member.

14. In a lighter, a casing having a flat top, a pair of projectionsextending above said top, spark-producing means including a wheelbetween the projections, a capping member pivotally mounted between saidprojections on the same axis as the wheel and extending from a pointadjacent one edge of the casing to a point adjacent the center of thecasing, a finger piece on one side of the wheel mounted on said top and110 adjacent the other edge of the casing, and having a fiat top surfacethereon and a pair of depending sides, a spring urging the finger-pieceupwardly, said finger-piece having a pivot located on said one side ofthe wheel, and a part swingable on the pivot and connecting thefinger-piece to the capping member to hold said capping member incapping position under the influence of said spring, said part having afiat top surface thereon arranged in substantially the same plane as thefiat top surface of the finger piece when the capping member isoperative.

JOHN HoL'rzMAN.

